Temari ("hand balls” in Japanese) are spheres made of colored silk, used initially for handball games. In time, they evolved into intricate embroideries, becoming valued decorative objects and even good luck charms.

One of the most renowned places from Japan for temari production is Matsumoto, where the tradition started 200 years ago, when a lady from the Matsumoto Clan nobility made the first temari. Today temari is Matsumoto’s best-known folk craft, so important that it is featured on the city’s manhole covers, as you can see in today’s photo…